So2fast5u

The last motor I just built is for e-85. It's 12.3 to 1 compression. We ran it in our racecar for a few yrs and it a lot better and way cheaper than race gas. I have never saw a prob with fuel lines yet but I always use the push loc hose that's made for ethanol, methanol. I agree with some and would use the 93 and if u had to use the other.

vintage chromoly

iTrader: (3)

I've had a holley carb eaten away because of using ethanol blended pump gas.

The ethanol absorbs water and corrodes the crap out of bare metal parts.

Since then I use stabil in everything.

In talking with my carb guy in regards to using e85 in a race application, he warned me to buy known quality (55 gallon drum of rocket brand e85) as the ethanol content of "pump" e85 is all over the place and as such, the octane rating varies greatly.

GPM

There is an ethanol difference in the seasonal fuels, we don't run the boat in the winter so there's no where near the fluctuation that you mentioned above. You will burn roughly 35% more E85 over gas depending on how you're running it. For us the $3.25 a gallon E85 in both tanks makes more sense than $7 a gallon race gas in one tank and $4.29 a gallon for 93 in the other. I no longer have to play with the boost controller when switching between tanks. I have not seen any signs of deterioration in anything, hoses, throttle bodies, injectors, fuel tanks, pumps, pick ups,filters, nothing. I don't think everyone needs to run E85, if 93 does the job run it.

SB

iTrader: (1)

I have run into many problems with Ethanol. It has been with carburetors - remember, they have fuel tanks open to the atmosphere too, it's called bowls - and believe it or not it has been more with billet aluminum bowls, metering blocks without any coating - so yeh, more BG carbs than anything else.

Within 6-8 months, they've become nasty. A few carbs I did back to back years.

Stabil, startron, filling fuel tanks, empyt fuel tanks...didn't matter. It was within the carb that had problems.

I am in Northern New England where we get huge temp and humidity swings. Boats are left outside...non garaged.



How I fixed the problem so far ? A member from here and mostly another forum told me about removing fuel water seperator during winterizing, and filling back up with a 2cycle oil / gas mix.

Run engine until blue smoke comes out the tailpipes and wallah, carb bowls are full (well, 1/2 full cause of floats + N&S) and no more problems. Upper cyl walls get 'fogged' to boot.

Works for me and just so you know. I had about 20 carbs here after the first year we got introduced to ethanol in our area.

Sucked being one of the only one's that new how to do carbs.

Here's a pic (not mine) of exactly how the inside of these carbs looked. Scary !
Only difference, the carbs I add, again especially the Barry Grant's, where full of much more than this:

GPM

Any chance the Ethanol is cleaning all of the sludge from the tanks and lines and it ends up in the carb.

SB

iTrader: (1)

It's not sludge in the carbs I did....it's a form of electrolysis. In person it's more of a white granular jelly. Even the fuel bowl screws had major pitting where they are exposed to the fuel.

One of these carbs, I had the bowls off a few times for it's last week-end running. Cold weather, High pressure, it's the last day of the year, we don't care if it breaks as much, tuning for highest MPH day.....sort of thing. LOL.

First start next spring,,,,,pop,pop, fart,,,sputter. Take carb apart and fall over.

Remember, fuel bowls are roughly half full and exposed to the atmosphere (air/humidity/temp) thru vents.

BTW: Most engines I've worked on (perf mods) have another inline filter installed right before the carb. These you can take apart quickly and check it's fine metal screen. No debris.

MILD THUNDER

iTrader: (3)

So might be a good idea to drain the carb bowls before layup?

vintage chromoly

iTrader: (3)

This was my exact experience.

My carb way a holley and the metering block took the hardest hit.

SB

iTrader: (1)

Found a much better picture. What I saw was just like this, mine had just a little more 'jelly' consistency. But same deal.

Sorry, won't post as a pic, can only provide a link. Prepare to fall over: http://forums.boatfreaks.org/showpos...9&postcount=29

So2fast5u

We never cleaned the e-85 carbs weekly but we ran the alcohol carbs on gas for a min after every week. It's corrosive no doubt. I have never saw junk in and e-85 carb. That's interesting.